Rush The Court

If you are interested in participating in our ATB2 feature, send in your submissions to rushthecourt@gmail.com.

Top 25 Games

• #12 Syracuse 80, Georgia Tech 76: “Syracuse is your Legends Classic champion and they won the championship game exactly how they’ve come to win most of their games this season. The Orange stalled early, took the lead around the half and held on for the close 80-76 victory over Georgia Tech. That said, the Orange also got something they haven’t gotten all year long…balance.” (Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician)
• #12 Missouri 91, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 63: “I’m doing a lot of nit-picking for a 28-point win, but it is what it is.  Mizzou has only been sporadically great this year.  If it’s true that they’re suffering from “Play To The Level Of Competition”-itis, then we should see them play pretty well tomorrow … as Georgetown is a damn fine team.” (Rock M Nation)
• #20 UF 55, FSU 51: “Despite the clear problems the Gators have, the play of the young bigs and a very good road win against a tough opponent will mean something. As the Gators roll towards Christmas and a tough non-conference schedule that includes several road games, Sunday’s win will hopefully be a sign of things to come.” (Alligator Army)
• #21 UNLV 71, Virginia Tech 59: “The Malcolm Delaney Show was not enough to pull out a 76 Classic title and the Hokies lost to UNLV 71-59 in the Championship Game in Anaheim, CA.” (Tech Hoops)
• Texas A&M 54, #24 Temple 51: “Oversized when one of our bigs were out of the game with foul trouble. Outrebounded as a result of that. Outhustled and outworked when the game was on the line. Texas A&M’s hard work through all 40 minutes of play allowed them to hand Temple it’s second loss of the year. I cannot take anything away from the Aggies. They wanted the win more than we did, and earned the 54-51 victory.” (Owlified)

Other Games of Interest

• Northwestern 65, Creighton 52: “Excuses aside, there is not any time to dwell on it as a few more tests await this week for the Bluejays.    On Wednesday, an undefeated and likely ranked BYU Cougars come into the Qwest Center for a matchup in the MWC/MVC Challenge.  With prolific scorer Jimmer Fredette coming in and Creighton’s difficulty in keeping control of certain players, there is a lot to be worried about.  Then on Sunday, Creighton takes another road trip.  This time it is down to Lincoln to take on in-state rival Nebraska which is always a challenge in the Devaney Center the last few times as the Bluejays haven’t won in Lincoln since the 2004-05 season.  There is not any time for confusion–this stretch will be big if the Bluejays are anywhere near postseason NCAA contention come March.” (White and Blue Review)
• UNC 74, College of Charleston 69: “First things first; it’s a better outcome than last year. It may not feel all that better, as UNC trailed often in the second half, but 74-69 is infinitely more comforting than 79-82. Of course, last year’s shocker and this year’s squeaker were both the result of one man, Andrew Goudelock. Last season he went 10 of 20 from the field and hit four threes to finish with 24 points. This year in Chapel Hill he was 11 of 28 with five threes to finish with 28. The early spurt in the second half to take the lead was almost entirely his doing, as he was draining some incredible threes from absolutely insane places. He’s a pretty impressive player. The difference is, this year he was alone.” (Carolina March)

Pre-Game Analysis

• Previewing the Big Ten-ACC Challenge: “As always, the chase to six wins will come down to a couple swing games. The Big Ten should get out to a 1-0 start on Monday with a Minnesota victory. However, Wednesday will really set the tone. The Big Ten needs at least three victories Tuesday, with so many winnable games on the docket, but four is possible and would put the conference in great shape. Wednesday is the ACC’s chance at a come back as there are four winnable games for the conference: Duke, Maryland, Virginia Tech, and Boston College. The good news for the Big Ten is that there aren’t many match-ups that look impossible. Duke is the best team in the country but they face the Big Ten’s best in Michigan State. If the Big Ten pulls off a couple upsets early on, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them runaway with the Challenge, even winning 8 or 9 games.” (UM Hoops)
• First Look at Maryland-Penn State: Meet Talor Battle: “KenPom likes Penn State a lot for reasons unknown to me. It even has Penn State winning this game. And no, I have no idea why. I’m trying not to let my new-found PSU dislike get in the way here, but Penn State’s not a particularly intimidating team. They’re experienced and won’t back down from a fight, definitely, and Battle might cause some problems. But they’re not particularly good shooters, are average rebounders, run a very slow pace, and aren’t deep at all. Call me crazy, but I just see Penn State as a decent team that just happens to be a good matchup for Maryland. So long as Battle doesn’t go crazy or Penn State miraculously finds some long-lost shooting stroke, the Terrapins should be okay in this one. Of course, now it’s guaranteed that it’ll be a nail-biter. I just have that magic touch.” (Testudo Times)

News/Analysis

• 2010 Legends Classic — Six Takaways: “After blogging the Legends Classic Friday and Saturday for Rush the Court, I crossed over the Atlantic City causeway, merged onto the Garden State Parkway North earlier today and let my mind wander as the South Jersey landscape unfolded…” (Villanova by the Numbers)
• Men’s Basketball Outlook: Bleak: “If the Sooners lost to Chaminade, who they were favored by 17 against, then they are in danger of losing just about every game left on their schedule – and there are some pretty bad non-conference teams remaining. The good news is that with zero expectations, we might get to experience the glory of scoring a major upset. It is odd to be in that position, for sure.” (Cream and Crimson Machine)
• Kentucky Basketball: Stats and Thoughts on the ‘Cats: “All-in-all, no real surprises, other than Jones and Lamb being better than I thought.  So keep on truckin’ Wildcats … right over the BU Terriers.  You’ll feel better, believe me.” (A Sea of Blue)
• AP Basketball Top 25 Poll: UConn goes from unranked to No. 7: “UConn’s jump from unranked to No. 7 is second only to Kansas’ 1989 team in the history of the poll. That team went from unranked to No. 4 after beating No. 1, No. 2 and No. 25 in the same week.” (The UConn Blog)
• Zags Tumble out of AP Top 25: “The upcoming four game stretch is perhaps the most important of the season for this team.  Now that we are smack dab in the middle of what I consider the toughest nonconference slate in the nation (and perhas in the Mark Few era), the season can realistically go down two very seperate paths.  Each game is very winnable but each one, save for EWU, presents some serious problems.  Drop a couple here, and the Zags could quickly be out of the national picture.” (The Slipper Still Fits)
• Video: Hanner Perea’s ridiculous dunk: He’s a little more athletic than the RTC staff. (Inside the Hall)
• Zeller opens season with 30-point, 13-rebound effort: Taking a look at some of Indiana’s major recruits. (Inside the Hall)
• Notes from the much anticipated debut of Trey Lyles: “In one of the more anticipated Indiana high school basketball debuts in recent memory, Trey Lyles took the floor for Arsenal Technical High School on Wednesday, Nov. 23. The 6-9 freshman forward, who committed to Indiana in September, scored 12 points and pulled down 19 rebounds, helping lead Tech to a 53-45 victory over Manual.” (Inside the Hall)
• Brandon Reese’s Time To Shine: “Sure, Brandon Reese didn’t put up Rick Jackson-like stats in the Legends Classic. Actually, he didn’t put up ANY stats in the Legends Classic. But that’s not Brandon Reese’s value. Reese brings something that very few bench players can bring to the table…photogenic presence. Behold…” (Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician)